Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) said no progress has been made with the White House in talks to avert the so-called fiscal cliff: across-the-board tax-rate hikes and automatic spending cuts (sequestration) at the beginning of the new year.

This isnt a progress report because theres no progress to report, Boehner said during a Capitol Hill press conference on Friday. When it comes to the fiscal cliff that is threatening our economy and threatening jobs, the White House has wasted another week.

So someone tonight asked me if I was going to write a column about the fiscal cliff, and I laughed. They looked at me, and I said this.

See, I don’t get why everybody is in such a panic. It’s like they think there is some monumental crisis that has arisen, and they need government to take action to avert it.

But what is this “crisis”? It’s two laws that were passed by this congress, and signed by this president. The first law was an extension of the Bush tax cuts for 2 years, followed by their termination. Tne second law was the debt limit ceiling increase, that included mandatory cuts in spending.

Two years ago, the congress and the president, acting supposedly in the best interest of the country, and surely doing what they thought was the right thing, passed and signed these two things. Now, congress and the President are running around talking about how the world will end if they don’t do something about these laws.

Well, I say it’s about time people saw what congress and the president are up to. Lets just let these laws they passed and signed work their magic. And then, lets point out that Obamacare was also passed by congress and signed by this president, and it is also a disaster. And Dodd/FRank was passed by congress and signed by this president, and it is also a disaster.

Grover Norquist can stuff it. In 2001, he pushed to pass the “Bush Tax Cuts”. He told his “pledge-signers” that they had to vote for this bill, or else. Well, that bill is the bill that makes taxes go up next month. So, if the pledge-holders do nothing, all that happens is a law that Grover Norquist supported does what it was intended to do (two years late, because congress and Obama passed a law extending it — again with Grover’s support).

If Congress tomorrow voted to permanently grant tax cuts to 98% of us, that would be a real tax cut, not a “tax increase on the rich”. It’s the 2001 bill that is increasing taxes on everybody. We can’t go back to 2001 and fix the idiocy of expiring tax cuts. And sadly, we can’t get congress to pass laws that include expiring spending.

RE:”Oh, okay. I feel better now that I know he’s just playing the media. He did so well defending his party before Election 2012 and playing the media then too.”

No one says you have to feel better. Don't forget Romney's role in 2012.

Two points in response :

1) Back in early 2009 to 2010 I was posting here that you better get rid of Bohner because he was the point man to get votes for TARP, and all that other crap Republicans LOVED under Bush and hated under O. But I was a lone voice here being lectured how that stuff was good under Bush.

2) No one wants Bohners job to be Os bitch. So we are stuck with him. Call up your favorite conservative and ask him to run for Speaker, I bet he wont return your message.

No deal will be made this year. Next year??

8
posted on 12/08/2012 10:34:06 PM PST
by sickoflibs
(Dems know how to win. Rs know how to whine.)

Pass the tax cuts in two bills both +/-$250K and then move on.Call his bluff to expose his next demand.

exactly...c'mon Boehmer / McConnell...show us; that you (both :) have a spine / set of ballsto opposite these Criminal acts...Better yet...pass a budget in the first week; then take a walk..b/c no matter what YOU DO; the 0Bozo Press is gonna blame you....

9
posted on 12/08/2012 11:59:23 PM PST
by skinkinthegrass
(Who'll take tomorrow,spend it all today; who can take your income & tax it all away..0Bama man can :)

A permanent tax cut would've been subjected to a Democrat filibuster in the Senate and never would've arrived on the floor. A temporary tax cut could be passed as a "budget reconciliation" measure by a bare majority -- which is all that the Republicans had at the time (50 Senators + VP Cheney).

Your comments are empty we see your pants are pulled down around your ankles. The faster you give him what you intended to do all along the faster you chums can go golfing. Why don’t you ask Romney to join you since he’s already had lunch with his fraudulence. Nice to see all you guys getting along so well at the expense of the American tax payer. Close the off broadway show boner

At this point, the best course of action would be to do absolutely nothing. Let the Bush tax cuts expire (all of them). Let SS withholding return to 12.5% (from the current 10.5%). And above all else, let the debt ceiling remain where it is. No more deficits.

15
posted on 12/09/2012 4:56:51 AM PST
by Hoodat
("As for God, His way is perfect" - Psalm 18:30)

RE :”Better yet...pass a budget in the first week; then take a walk..b/c no matter what YOU DO; the 0Bozo Press is gonna blame you..”

Great idea. You get this from Rush?? He has suggested stuff like this many times before. In fact we know exactly how that idea would play out from the FICA tax cut fiasco exactly a year ago Lets walk through it:

1) House Republicans listen to this guy and say ‘ taxes on the middle class will go up unless we get a full extension, for all that income above $250K too. We will not extend them without the others. We dont leave the job producers behind. We won the election.”

2) In January taxes go up (assuming it gets that far)

3) Obama gets on TV and Townhalls telling middle class voters that their taxes are going up because Republicans once again are putting ‘the rich’ ahead of them.

4) MSM hounds Republicans asking them if they are happy they ‘raised taxes’ on the middle class

5) House Republicans get flooded in a tidal wave of angry emails and phone calls from those who voted for them. They try to go home for a visit and there are angly mobs around their house with signs “I am sorry I voted for you. You raised my taxes you lying #%%$$”, many are white and 50 + obviously not ACORN.

6) The stock Market tanks

7) House Republicans even the most ‘conservative’ go to Bohner and say “WE made a big mistake. We need to cut those taxes (under$250K income) and put this behind us. My voters want to kill me” just as they did with last years FICA.

8) The House quietly passes the extension in secret just as they did FICA last February.

9) Obama signs it declaring that the Rs finally saw reason

10) The stock market recovers some just because the panic is over sand no one knows that the resulting Obama tax increases hurt the stock market because they think house Rs crashed it and O saved it.

11) Obama gets credit for saving the economy. AGAIN.

12) House Republicans dont challenge O again for the next two years. So the Republican party melts down in civil war. Dems bayonette the R wounded.

13) In 2014 election Reid and Pelosi get back the same numbers they got in 2009.

14) January 2015 Congess passes a bill making Obama King. (no more filibuster to stop it) Republicans blame voter fraud and the MSM and Rush now says he knew this would happen..

Or does anyone think middle class voters will act any differently than they did a year ago on FICA with that coming tax increase?

18
posted on 12/09/2012 5:26:49 AM PST
by sickoflibs
(Dems know how to win. Rs know how to whine.)

With fewer than 25 days remaining before the fiscal cliff becomes a reality, House Speaker John Boehner is facing rising criticism from those on the right who feel the House GOP leader conceded too much upfront when he proposed $800 billion in new tax revenues, thereby damaging Republican chances of linking any tax hike to long-term cuts in entitlement spending.

Boehner reported no progress on a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff Friday, after another day passed without the administration even bothering to make a counteroffer to the Speakers initial proposal. Administration strategists appear willing to let Boehner and his House caucus sweat, based on their view that the presidents re-election victory, and the imminent expiration at years end of the Bush-era tax cuts for all income brackets, give them the upper hand.

Conservatives roundly criticized Boehners initial concession of $800 billion in new revenues, and the political backlash within his party continues to build.

On Friday, two maverick Republicans who were booted off key committees for bucking the GOP leadership suggested that they might not support Boehners continued role as speaker.

Well, right now Im not very happy with the speaker, so lets see what happens over next several weeks, Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who lost his seat on the Budget Committee, told CNN. Kansas Rep. Tim Huelskamp, who also lost his Budget Committee seat, said Boehner’s purge “just brought home the concerns people had about the GOP establishment leadership.”

Economist Chris Edwards of the CATO think tank joined the growing chorus on the right slamming Boehner Friday.

I'm thinking Boehner is still practicing his crying and folding like a lawn chair. These things take time. He has to first drive the last nail I the coffin of the dead from the neck up and crotch of the (Thank God it couldn't happen soon enough) Republican party. In his spare time he is trying how to figure out how to announce his man love for his imperial majesty Comrade El Presidente Iman Caliph Sheik Obama the First, affectionately referred to by Chris Rock as his lord and savior.

I personally do not understand why Bonehead Boehner hasn't caved like be did the last negotiation. He should be proud of his ancestor who negotiated on behalf of Gen. George Custer and that turned out so, so well. (Sarc)

The MSN knows he is going to cave, everybody in the DemocRat party (his masters) knows he is going to cave, the elite Establishment Republican wing of the ruling political class knows he is going to cave, the true conservatives know he is going to cave, he needs to get off the pot and get on with the caving in so these poor, poor Congressmen can go home. If I lived in his district in Ohio and he pulls another BOHICA, I'd demand a recall petition be initiated.

20
posted on 12/09/2012 5:39:23 AM PST
by cashless
(Obama told us he would side with Muslims if the political winds shifted in an ugly direction. Ready?)

Good summary. Everyone can see this train coming and the GOP just won’t fight for us. Boehner & McConnell only seem concerned about getting a deal to keep their K Street payola coming in. It’s disgusting.

“13) In 2014 election Reid and Pelosi get back the same numbers they got in 2009.”

I’ve also predicted this in some previous posts.

Typically, the president and his party -lose seats- in a midterm election. Those are — or at least those used to be — the usual results.

But in the new Entitlee America, the conventional wisdom and rules no longer apply.

If they still did, a president with as horrible a record (particularly in terms of economic performance) could not have been re-elected. But Obama WAS re-elected, and the “old rules” have been tossed out into the street.

We can no longer assume that the Republicans are automatically going to gain seats in 2014. We can’t even assume that they are going to easily “hold what they have”.

I believe the Republicans may be setting themselves up for a defeat in 2014. By that, I mean they may barely hold their seats in the Senate (or even lose a little), and they may lose their majority in the House.

If Obama and his ‘rats succeed in their strategy (and right now I see little from the Republicans that will halt that strategy), they may be able to turn 2014 into a crushing defeat for the Pubs.

If that happens, the Republicans will become “the incredible shrinking party” — slowly but surely fading away as did the Whigs before them.

Then it will become “third party” time.

Only in this case, it will be the _Republicans_ that have become “the third party”...

Bonehead ‘s only agenda is to keep the cash flowing to K street and the Beltway bandits they represent .
Boner is there front man and so is Cantor ,Ryan , McCarthy ....
The Dems and Obama media know it !
That is why the Dem media has left him
Untouched unlike Hammer and Newt who they drove from
Office .
Boner is there useful idiot and they all hate
The GOP base and the middle class !
Boner will cause the GOP to
Lose in 2014 just like the GOP did in 2006 !

You realize, of course, why the Bush tax cuts expired? A permanent tax cut would've been subjected to a Democrat filibuster in the Senate and never would've arrived on the floor. A temporary tax cut could be passed as a "budget reconciliation" measure by a bare majority -- which is all that the Republicans had at the time (50 Senators + VP Cheney).

Well, I say its about time people saw what congress and the president are up to. Lets just let these laws they passed and signed work their magic.

YEP.

Two years ago, the congress and the president, acting supposedly in the best interest of the country, and surely doing what they thought was the right thing, passed and signed these two things. Now, congress and the President are running around talking about how the world will end if they dont do something about these laws.

And right there is the entire game for the donks.

This is how we got TARP and all the crap that came after it.

I expect we will see the BS meter pegged again in two weeks when the "solution" to the current "EOTW" is sprung on America. I would think the tax rates will be extended but what will be attached to that will be yet another horror story from the communist agenda "liberal and progressive" donks and hailed as "unprecedented and historic" by the mouthpiece media.

Right now they are just running out the clock to create the "We Must Act Now" scenario to pass something without anyone having a chance to see what it actually is.

I assume you mean the original 2 years ago when they were first cut. That was the Dem lame duck congress so the House Rs were irrelevant and the R Senate minority agreed to that to get the full extension of the Bush tax cuts for the two years. At the time I thought that this was a great deal for O, but it was spun into a R victory over O.

Its ironic and I remember warning this might happen : in some ways the Republicans had more leverage without the House in 2009 to 2010. I guess they wrongly figured they could (having the house) get rid of the FICA tax cuts at the end of the year when they expired.

34
posted on 12/09/2012 8:56:03 AM PST
by sickoflibs
(Dems know how to win. Rs know how to whine.)

RE :”I believe the Republicans may be setting themselves up for a defeat in 2014. By that, I mean they may barely hold their seats in the Senate (or even lose a little), and they may lose their majority in the House.If Obama and his rats succeed in their strategy (and right now I see little from the Republicans that will halt that strategy), they may be able to turn 2014 into a crushing defeat for the Pubs. If that happens, the Republicans will become the incredible shrinking party  slowly but surely fading away as did the Whigs before them.”

But we love losing don't we?? After all look how much fun it is complaining about the MSM, rigged polls, rigged elections and voter fraud. Man that is fun :)

My favorite I keep reading: “ The MSM will blame Rs no matter what so the R House should work as hard as they can to p... voters off so badly that Rs will never get control of the congress or WH again. That will teach them(those stupid voters) for re-electing O. ”.my paraphrasing obviously.

Obama is always many steps ahead of the Rs and his traps can be seen miles away, but I keep hearing, : Lets jump right into that trap on principle. If O demands tax cuts then we must oppose them. He cant tell us what to do. ” my paraphrasing obviously but this is what voters hear.

35
posted on 12/09/2012 9:25:28 AM PST
by sickoflibs
(Dems know how to win. Rs know how to whine.)

Oh, okay. I feel better now that I know he's just playing the media. He did so well defending his party before Election 2012 and playing the media then too.

Actually Speaker Boehner was alot more successful than any other prominent Republican, conservative or otherwise, in the 2012 election. The GOP won about 53% of the House seats. He is trying to avoid a complete Democrat dictatorship come 2014. Unfortunately the GOP lost the tax debate because the majority of this country envies the rich. It is a losing proposition and I hope he can successfully deflect it and loss of the House.

If you want to feel better, forget how conservatives threw away a reasonable change to tie up or take the Senate ...

41
posted on 12/09/2012 2:38:00 PM PST
by af_vet_1981
(The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began,)

Actually Speaker Boehner was alot more successful than any other prominent Republican, conservative or otherwise, in the 2012 election. The GOP won about 53% of the House seats. He is trying to avoid a complete Democrat dictatorship come 2014. Unfortunately the GOP lost the tax debate because the majority of this country envies the rich.

What Boehner needs to do is propose a law that forces the white people to pay back the black Americans for all the suffering they caused them during slavery. Even better, outlaw 100% the extracting of oil ANYWHERE on US soil. That would sure help the republicans maintain the power in the House in 2014.

There's a lot Boehner could do to out left the democrats. You make some wonderful points!

It's no wonder the conservatives lost the Senate for the Republicans, as you said. If only they could just be more like Arlen Spector.

42
posted on 12/09/2012 2:58:53 PM PST
by tsowellfan
(Allen West for Speaker!)

personlly I htink give obama his tax increases and whne he gets no revenue form the top 2% after 8 days then ask him what do you want to tax now, we did it your way, you cut no spending, you raised taxes and yet no more money is avaliable.?

Guarantee the media can;t fault our side as we gave obmaa the top 2% and tax increases.

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